About this role
ESRC Centre for Digital Futures at Work PhD Studentship (2026)
The Impact of Digital Transformation on Skills, Wages, and Career Trajectories in the United Kingdom
Supervisors at Sussex: Prof. Richard Dickens and Dr Wenchao Jin
This studentship is supported by the ESRC Centre for Digital Futures at Work. You will study within the Economics PhD programme at the University of Sussex Business School, as part of the South East Doctoral Training Arc. The studentship includes a placement with the UK Low Pay Commission, providing the opportunity to investigate how digital technologies interact with rising minimum wages.
What the studentship offers
This studentship covers Full UK or International tuition fees. A stipend equivalent to UKRI doctoral stipend, £21,383 (2026/27) per annum for up to four years.
Research Theme
This research investigates how the diffusion of advanced digital technologies is reshaping the UK labour market. Employers frequently report shortages of workers with the digital skills needed to adopt new technologies, suggesting that skill gaps may constrain productivity growth. Yet, despite these hiring difficulties, educational attainment has risen and many young graduates still face challenging labour-market conditions.
The work examines how technology use, skill requirements and wage trajectories are evolving across the United Kingdom. It analyses how the adoption of advanced digital technologies alters demand for specific competencies and affects wages, job mobility and career progression. Sectoral and regional comparisons further assess how differences in industrial structure, workforce composition and access to skills development contribute to inequalities in employment and pay. We invite research proposals that engage with these themes and fall within the scope outlined above.
Deadline: 28 January 2026
For details on how to apply please see the following link
For any enquiries please contact Professor Richard Dickens [email protected]